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Specification oi Letters Batent' Application filed June 26, 1911. Serial No. 635,473

Patentedllct. 2.71,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CARL F. OBERMAIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 180 South ldeaver street, in the city and a county of York and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drums, of Which the folloW- lin, etc. Sometimes small amounts of pitch,

araffin, or vaseline'are added in order to obtain special results. When the mixing is complete the result is a homogeneous Inass which becomes more or less plastic upon the application of heat] This mass can be formed into sheets by. means of calender rolls andcut into strips if the Wire or cable is to be insulated by means of soealled cutter machines, or the mass can bi Warmed up and fed into screw-presses or socalled tubing machines; the latter process elivering a seamless layer of insulating r ateri'al. During this process the material 'he'coines'extremely '-''soft' on account of the heat applied in the machines and hence is very easily deformed, and in order to render "the 'mater1'al' less plastic the coated WIIBZOI cahle'is usually chilledby passing it through COl'lTlfWiIlZQF-"ilfillliS or cold air chambers, so that byftlie tiine the wire or cable reaches the take-up drum on which is wound the insulating covering' is' hard enough to stand reasonable pressure Withoutbeingflattened. v The takeup drum is usually of metal be ca usewit-has; vulca-nizer. A I

The vulcanizer large iron chamber or the-subjected, to heat in the boiler large enough to contain one or more take-up drums, with a door that can easily be hermetically closed against a steam pressure of three or fouratmospheres. The exof the goods to the steam pressure mentioned, equivalent'to a temperature. of from 136 to 160 (1, is called vulcanizaform the soft. insulation.

.tion, and its object is to change the plastic compound into an elastic one. This change, .WlllCll IS a chemical one 'due to the small amount of sulfur present in the compound, takes place in a period of time depending upon the quality and quantityof the substances used, and upon the thickness of the -;layer which the heat must penetrate to effect the desired change. It is evident that the rubber compound becomes soft at the 'beginning of the vulcanization; and the resuit is that the coating becomes flattened Where it is in contact with the drum; In

order to overcome this defect rubber "manufacturers elfect the vulcanization inzform's or molds Whenever possible, but on account 0f the great lengths in which Wires and cables are required-the use of molds or forms becomes very expensive.

Some makers incase the insulation in tin, Which is effective but expensive as the tin has to be ripped ofi when the vulcanization is completed. A5 cheaper method, "used mostly with coin: pounds not-of a very high grade, is to Wrap the cable with tape after leaving the in sula'u ing machine. This method is used more with .Wiresand cables insulated by so-called rotating cutters than those coated in tubing machines, as the 'latter deliver the material in too soft a state to permit the immediate applicationof the tape; rTlie lateralipull of the rotating taping head lS SHll'lClQKitTlJG dequite expensive method is to provide the drum with a helical groove of the proper depth and form, in which the insulated wire or cable is around.

l have therefore been led to devise my present invention, which has for its object to provide animproved method of forming an apparatus for supporting rubber compounds during vulcanization, particularly insulated Wire's, cables, :and the like, in such .inanneras to prevent "flattening or other deformation. A further object "is to provide for this purpose a device which shall be not only effectivebut also convenient and inespensive in practice. To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel apparatus and method for forming the same as hereinafter described, and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In carrying out my invention in the preferred' inanner' l maliense of a material known as balrelite for directly supporting sir-ample,-

rubber insulated -Wire.

Still another Bakelite is a comparatively new substance,

which, in its different forms offers the advantages of hard rubber, Japanese lacquer,

celluloid and in some respects excels the i produced-in various forms, the final product of which is infusible and can-resist a temperature of 572 F. or over. Itis insoluble in all' solvents and can Withstand strong chemicals, oil, hot water, steam, etc. It can also be compounded with various filling materials and shaped or molded with great accuracy, to articles, of unusual strength. Thepeculiar property of this compound (bakelite). -in its diiferent forms to harden under proper conditions-has been taken advantage of to adapt the same to this new use;.and

this fact that bakelite under proper applications and under proper conditions ofheatsupplybecomes a hard mass not affected by temperatures necessary to perform the process of vulcanization, offers a very suitable and cheap'material' and is an excellent medium to support the insulating compound during the transition from a plastic to an elasticmass. I

With the above brief digression as to the characteristics --or properties of bakelite, or its equivalent, alone or in combination with suitable; fillers, I will now proceedto describe its function'in my new apparatus for vulcanizing articles composed of or covered with rubber or rubber compounds to prevent deformation of the rubber. In the case of cords, tubing, rubber coated wires, cables, etc;, a metal drum is used upon the cylindrical portion of which the bakelite is coated to a suitable depth and in this plastic material a helical groove is formed equal substantially to one-half the diameter of the cord, cable, etc., together with the insulating material thereon which are to be vul. canized thereon. When the bakelite or its equivalent, is thus applied to -the drum in its plastic condition andwthe helical groove suitably formed therein, the drum and the plastic material thereon are subjected to proper heat conditions to cause the bakelite compound, together with any filling materials with which it ,may be desirable to use the same, such as asbestos to harden, or, as it is termed bakelize thereon. In other words atransition takes place in the bakelite from a coherent, plastic mass to the form known as bakelite C. This material when thus hardened, as stated above, is not affected by temperatures necessary to perform the process of vulcanization, and the helical groove therein provides an admirable support for cords, tubing, coated wires, cables, etc., to support the softened or softening rubber compound and effectually prevents, deformation thereof. When the vulcanization is completed and the article re moved from the vulcanizer, the same can be readily removed from the helical groove and the article will be intact and in its original form. I

What I claim is:

' 1. In a device for vulcanizing cables, wires and the like composed of or covered with rubber or rubber compounds, a cylindrical drum, and a coating of bakelite for the cylln'drical portion of thedrum, having a helical groove therein to receive the cables, wires-and the like.

2. In a device for vulcanizing cables,- wires, and the like composed of or covered with rubber or rubber compounds, a cylindrical drum, and a coating of bakelite on the cylindrical portion of the drum having a helical groove formed therein and hardened Whileon said drum, said groove adapted to receive the cables, wires, and. the-like.

3. In a device for vulcanizing cables, wires, and the like, composed of or covered with rubber "or rubber compound, a drum, and a coat of material having a helical oove therein and hardened on said drum 5; heating so as to be thereafter unafiected by the vulcanizing temperature, said groove adapted to receive the cables, Wires, and the like.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL F. OBERMAIER. Witnesses; l

M. LAWSON DYER, WM. Bormnnnn. 

